Missions
The TERRA Teaching and Research Centre is a unique interdisciplinary research center in Belgium that studies and develops biological engineering in the fields of agrifood, agriculture, biotechnology, environment and forestry.
The research carried out at TERRA aims to respond to the major challenges facing our society:
- Providing quality, balanced and sufficient food for all
- Addressing the environmental and social consequences of over-intensive agriculture
- Managing the sharp rise in urban populations
- Developing sustainable management of biodiversity and natural bioresources
- Integrate the environment as a source of new business sectors
- Meeting regional economic development expectations
- Clarify the uncertainties linked to globalization and the impact of planetary phenomena
To achieve this, TERRA relies on cross-disciplinarity and exchanges between researchers from different disciplines. The center also boasts exceptional facilities, including an Ecotron, an experimental farm, a WAlloon platform for Innovative Systems in Agriculture and Urban Biodiversity (WASABI), and pilot equipment for agri-food technology and micro-organism study and production. Some of these tools are integrated into European infrastructure networks such as ICOS and ANAEE.
Thanks to its specific research and funding strategy for international projects, the excellence of its PhD students and its interaction with the business world, the research unit aims to be an essential resource for regional and international socio-economic development.
Four platforms known as CARE (Cellules d'Appui à la Recherche et à l'Enseignement) are associated with the TERRA Research and Teaching Centre:
Eleven research axes complete the research tree structure:
Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Landscape - BEP
Water-Soil-Plant Exchanges- EESP
Biosystems, Dynamics and Exchanges - BIODYNE
Forest Resource Management - GRF
Plant Sciences - PS
Animal Sciences - AS
Sustainable Management of Bio-agressors - BioA
Modeling and Development - MD
Chemistry for Sustainable Food and Environmental Systems - CSFES
Microbial Technologies - MT
Food Technology - TA
